13 July 2011
The inspirational news
NASA Debuts Inspirational Space Station Music Video
The video features imagery of both the space station and the space shuttles that have served as the workhorses of space station construction and resupply. It uses selections from orbit as well as Earth-bound training and launch activities to communicate the importance of space exploration and its benefits for future generations. Intermixed are selections of video that show the beauty of planet Earth as seen from the space station and scenes of children inspired by space exploration. The lyrics emphasize that "history starts now" and invite listeners to ask the question, "What kind of world do you want?"
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15 July 2011
Appropriations Committee Approves the Fiscal Year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill
In total, the legislation contains $50.2 billion in funding. This is a reduction of $3.1 billion or 6% below last year's level, and $7.4 billion or 13% below the President's request for these programs. This amount is also 3% below the pre-stimulus, pre-bailout level of 2008.
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related
14 July 2011
Schiff Amendment to Provide FY 2012 Funding for James Webb Space Telescope Rejected
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14 July 2001
Gagarin statue unveiled in London
The figure, which has been placed just off The Mall, next to Admiralty Arch, features the cosmonaut in his flight suit and standing on a globe.
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14 July 2011
SpaceX Names Mark Bitterman Senior Vice President of Government Affairs
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14 July 2011
NASA Releases Book About Psychology of Human Spaceflight
The book, "Psychology of Space Exploration: Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective," is a collection of essays from leading space psychologists. They place their recent research in historical context by looking at changes in space missions and psychosocial science over the past 50 years.
What makes up the "right stuff" for astronauts has changed as the early space race gave way to international cooperation.
Different coping skills and sensibilities are now necessary to communicate across cultural boundaries and deal with interpersonal conflicts.
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14 July 2011
AIA Concerned by NASA, NOAA Cuts
"We recognize that tough economic times call for tough choices," said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. "However, cutting NASA and NOAA this deeply threatens American leadership in space and impairs our ability to make life-saving weather predictions."
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13 July 2011
Private space race heats up as US shuttle retires
Private companies, aided by NASA's cash and expertise in human space flight, are rushing to be the first to build a space capsule to replace the retiring US shuttle in the next few years
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13 July 2011
NASA Selects Fla. Non-profit to Manage ISS Research
NASA picked the Space Florida-backed Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) for the job, awarding it $15 million in annual funding under a cooperative agreement with the space agency.
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13 July 2011
Bolden Says SLS Decision Might Slip Beyond Summer
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told U.S. lawmakers July 12 that the agency might not unveil the technical and budgetary details of the next U.S.-owned heavy lifter, the Space Launch System (SLS), until the summer is out.
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13 July 2011
Long, cramped road trips ahead for US astronauts
With the shuttle program ending once Atlantis returns to Earth on July 21, US astronauts will be flying much less often to the International Space Station. And when they do, they will be hitching a ride aboard a Soyuz space capsule at a cost of $51 million per seat next year. In 2013 the cost goes up to $55.9 million, and in 2014 it rises to $62.7 million.
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12 July 2011
China Launches Data-relay Satellite To Support Upcoming Manned Missions
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12 July 2011
Time Enough for Tiangong
It's taken long enough, but it seems that we are finally getting close to the launch of Tiangong 1, China's first space laboratory. This small, cylindrical spacecraft will almost certainly take off before the end of September 2011, and will probably lift off a lot sooner than that. Chinese media reports now seem focused on this, although an exact launch date has yet to be specified.
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12 July 2011
Planetary Science Institute Selects XCOR To Fly ATSA Suborbital Observatory
The Atsa project will use crewed reusable suborbital spacecraft equipped with a specially designed telescope to provide low-cost space-based observations above the contaminating atmosphere of Earth, while avoiding some operational constraints of satellite telescope systems.
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11 July 2011
AAS Issues Statement On Proposed Cancellation Of James Webb Space Telescope
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) today issued a strong statement protesting yesterday's proposal from the House Appropriations Committee to cancel the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Hubble's successor and the centerpiece of U.S. space astronomy for the next two decades. "The proposed cancellation of JWST is a bad idea," says AAS Executive Officer Dr. Kevin B. Marvel.
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08 July 2011
Nasa argues for 'incredible future'
"The future of human spaceflight is bright," Administrator Charles Bolden insisted to reporters. "You'll hear me say that over and over and over again, so you need to print it. The future is incredible and you're witnessing the first steps Nasa is taking to create that future right now."
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08 July 2011
End of shuttle flights only a 'bottleneck'
A former German astronaut says the end of the space shuttle program is just a "bottleneck" and that the future of space exploration is bright.
Thomas Reiter, now an official with the European Space Agency, cited the emergence of China and India as space powers as proof space exploration will continue.
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08 July 2011
Obama hails final shuttle flight, eyes Mars next
President Barack Obama gave Atlantis an inspirational final sendoff Friday, hailing astronauts and crew of the 30-year shuttle program and evoking "new boundaries" in space, notably a mission to Mars. "I have tasked the men and women of NASA with an ambitious new mission: to break new boundaries in space exploration, ultimately sending Americans to Mars. I know they are up to the challenge - and I plan to be around to see it."
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06 July 2011
NASA needs new 'breakthrough,' says Obama
NASA needs new technology breakthroughs to revitalize its mission to explore the universe, President Barack Obama said Wednesday as the shuttle Atlantis was preparing for its final mission. Asked during his first-ever Twitter town hall meeting about where America stands in terms of space exploration with the shuttle program about to end after 30 years, Obama said he was "proud" of the past but eager for a new leap forward.
"We are still a leader in space exploration, but, frankly, I have been pushing NASA to revamp its vision," Obama said.
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FOR FURTHER READING
11 July 2011
Once more, with feelings
On Friday the shuttle Atlantis lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center, beginning the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. Jeff Foust reports on the weather and technical issues that nearly delayed the launch and the outpouring of emotions about the end of such a storied program.
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11 July 2011
Space Shuttle 2.0: What did we learn?
As the Space Shuttle program winds down, what lessons from it can we carry forward to future programs? Dana Andrews argues that although it failed to achieve it, NASA was right to pursue a vehicle with high flight rates that can ultimately lower the cost of space access.
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11 July 2011
Wings in space
The Space Shuttle’s design, including its delta wings, has become iconic, but it’s not the only way a spaceplane can be built. James McLane describes his cameo role in the development of an alternative design 40 years ago.
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11 July 2011
The Space Shuttle and the dreams of a ten-year-old
The origins of the Space Shuttle program date back four decades, and at the beginning were a source of inspiration for many young people wondering what was next after Apollo. Drew LePage recalls those memories after finding a vintage newspaper article about the shuttle.
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11 July 2011
Tinker, Tailor, NASA, Spy
Yet another television show with an inaccurate portrayal of NASA and space operations? Dwayne Day reviews a recent episode of a USA Network drama that offers another example of how NASA and the CIA are portrayed in popular culture.
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05 July 2011
Human spaceflight, and the reason for (almost) being there
When is it appropriate to send humans to other worlds versus sending robotic probes? Dan Lester argues a key factor in future human spaceflight may be the degree of latency needed to successfully perform telerobotics.
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05 July 2011
The mission of the final shuttle mission
Attention is focused on the Kennedy Space Center this week for the launch of Atlantis on the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. Jeff Foust reports on one largely overlooked factor in this surge of attention: the mission itself.
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05 July 2011
A father of national reconnaissance, Robert Salter
A little-known pioneer of reconnaissance satellites passed way in May. Dwayne Day examines the life of Robert Salter and the contributions he made in the early history of American reconnaissance satellite efforts.
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05 July 2011
Reviews: Revisiting the Moon and Mars
Advocates of human exploration of Mars and the Moon find themselves having to continually state and restate their arguments. Jeff Foust reviews a new edition of a classic book advocating Mars exploration and a new book reprinting blog posts from a leading lunar advocate.
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